Apologetics

L. Glen Rev. Msgr. Paul

Description

Proves the truth of the Faith from a philosophic point of view. Covers proofs for the existence of God; His nature, attributes and action on the world; the nature of religion; the necessity and fact of supernatural revelation; Christ the Redeemer, True God and True Man; His Church--its marks and attributes; the necessity of the Church; plus, the Bible as the true word of God.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology
• Catholic Church
• Theology

Informations

• Publié par: TAN Books
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 1980
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781505103540
• Langue: English

Extrait

APOLOGETICS
A Class Manual in the Philosophy of the Catholic Religion
R IGHT R EV . M SGR . PAUL J. GLENN, P H .D., S.T.D .
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NIHIL OBSTAT
Rt. Rev. Joseph A. Weigand ,
Censor Deputatus
IMPRIMATUR
  James J. Hartley, D.D .,
Bishop of Columbus
Originally published by B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis, Missouri
Copyright © 1931 by B. Herder Book Co.
Copyright © 1980 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.
Library of Congress Catalog No.: 80-51330
ISBN: 0-89555-157-8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Sixteenth printing
TAN Books Charlotte, North Carolina www.TANBooks.com 1980
This little Book on the Sanity of the Catholic Religion is dedicated, with Love abounding, to the fadeless Memory of Two who loved that Religion through long and stainless Years, and were Its ardent Apologists in Word, in Deed, and in all
their Lives,
MY FATHER AND MOTHER,
who are now, these many Years, with God in Heaven
PREFACE
At the present moment there is great need for textbooks in Christian Apologetics or Evidences. Perhaps there is even greater need for texts in Christian Polemics. For it does seem that Catholics might at last refuse to deal seriously with the insanities charged against their religion. It does seem that Catholics might now take the active and aggressive stand in the endless argument that goes on about their faith; that they might now, after so many, many weary refutations of absurdities, require proofs from their opponents instead of silly charges, and positive doctrine instead of the vague sentimentalism and tiresome negations that make up the jejune sectarianism of our day. Still, however delightful it would be to charge happily into the part of "the offensive" and turn out a textbook that would serve Catholic students by instructing them in methods of making the enemies of the true faith consider the cheapness and inadequacy of their own resources, it is well to resist the pleasant impulse to do it. For successful Polemics can come only from sound Apologetics. Let the Catholic student learn and love to be a thorough apologist for his religion; let him delight in the scientific knowledge of the reasonableness and necessity of his own true faith. Then, and then only, will he be equipped for positive warfare against falsehood. Then, and then only, will he be able to show the unreason and the unmanliness of irreligion, and to dissipate the fog of sentimentality that passes for religion with many moderns. Let us then have textbooks in Apologetics.
The class manual in Apologetics needed to-day has a somewhat peculiar shape. Two or three generations ago, a text in this subject had mainly to deal with the unique truth of the Catholic religion among many religions, all claiming to be Christian. Among people of our western civilization at least, it was then quite generally admitted that there is a God and that Christ is God-made-Man; Christ's Church was admitted to be the only true Church, and the question that concerned the apologist was—which, among several claimants, is really Christ's Church? To-day, outside the Catholic Church, the existence of God is specially ignored, and the divinity of Christ is generally denied, even by sectarian clergymen. The modern textbook in Apologetics must, therefore, deal more fully than the older texts with the fundamental truths of God's existence and the divinity of Christ. And the modern chapter on the claims of the Catholic Church, as distinct from other Christian bodies, may be made much more brief and direct, for the simple reason that the "other Christian bodies" have largely faded into a vaguely differentiated group with no very positive claims of any kind except the general claim to the right of taking "centre shots at Rome," as a bright little modern book has it.
This textbook was written in a sincere effort to supply what is felt as a distinct need. It tries to present a clear and logical statement of the philosophy, the reason , that is back of the Catholic religion. It endeavors to impress upon the student the necessity under which every educated Catholic lies, of being interested in the reasonableness of his religion and of realizing his duty to make non-Catholics interested in it. It tries to offer a course of training that will make Catholic students understand that they have a warfare to conduct, but not a "warring against flesh and blood"; that they are soldiers active for Christ, not to inflict the shame of a defeat, but to share the glory of a victory; that they are militant marchers in a hostile world, not bearing chains to bind, but bringing the inestimable treasure of the truth that makes men free.
May this book serve, then, however feebly, the glorious purpose for which .it was composed
P. J. G.
College of St. Charles Borromeo
Columbus
CONTENTS
P REFACE
I NTRODUCTION
BOOK FIRST
GOD
    I.     T HE E XISTENCE OF G OD
            Art. 1. The Argument from Cause
            Art. 2. The Argument from Motion
            Art. 3. The Argument from Design
            Art. 4. The Argument from the Moral Order
            Art. 5. The Argument from History
    II.     T HE N ATURE AND A TTRIBUTES OF G OD
            Art. 1 . The Nature of God
            Art. 2. The Attributes of God
    III.     T HE A CTION OF G OD UPON THE W ORLD
            Art. 1. The Production of the World
            Art. 2. The Preservation of the World
            Art. 3. The Government of the World
BOOK SECOND
RELIGION
    I.     T HE N ATURE OF R ELIGION
            Art. 1. The Meaning of Religion
            Art. 2. The Necessity and Universality of Religion
            Art. 3. The Origin of Religion
    II.     S UPERNATURAL R EVELATION IN R ELIGION
            Art. 1. The Meaning, Possibility, and Necessity of Supernatural Revelation
            Art 2. The Fact of Supernatural Revelation
BOOK THIRD
CHRIST
    I.     J ESUS C HRIST, THE R EDEEMER
            Art. 1. The Redemption
            Art. 2. The Redeemer
    II.     J ESUS C HRIST, T RUE G OD
            Art. 1. Jesus Christ Claimed to Be God
            Art. 2. Jesus Christ Proved Himself God by His Personal Character
            Art. 3. Jesus Christ Proved Himself God by His Wondrous Works
            Art. 4. Jesus Christ Proved Himself God by His Prophecies
    III.     J ESUS C HRIST, T RUE M AN
BOOK FOURTH
THE CHURCH
    I.     T HE C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
            Art. 1. The Formation of the Church
            Art. 2. The Primacy of St. Peter
    II.     T HE M ARKS AND A TTRIBUTES OF THE C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
            Art. 1. The Marks of the Church
            Art. 2. The Attributes of the Church
    III.     T HE I DENTIFICATION OF THE C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST
            Art. 1. The Catholic Church the Church of Christ
            Art. 2. The Necessity of the Catholic Church
A PPENDIX. O N THE B IBLE OR H OLY S CRIP TURE
INTRODUCTION
1. Name 2. Definition 3. Importance 4. Division
       1. NAME
The word apologetics is derived from the Greek word apologeisthai , which means "to defend oneself." The words apology and apologia derive from the same source. Thus, the basic meaning of apology, apologia and apologetics , is the same, viz., "self-defence" or "justification of one's position, conduct, or belief." The vulgar meaning of the word apology , which makes it synonymous with excuse , is excluded from our use of the term. To make an apology, or to present an apologetic is not, therefore, to admit being in the wrong; on the contrary, it is to explain that one is in the right. Apologetics means a justification, a vindication, a satisfactory explanation.
       2. DEFINITION
Apologetics is the science which explains and justifies the Catholic religion as the true religion.
Apologetics is a science , that is to say, it is a body of certainly known facts, set forth in a manner that is systematic, logical, and complete; and it presents the reasons which show these facts to be true and certain.
Apologetics is a human science, for it draws its facts from history and philosophy (i. e., human sources) and develops its proofs by unaided human reason. Apologetics does not call upon Divine Revelation (as the divine science of theology does) for its fundamental proofs; but it regards the records of Revelation as historical documents until they have been proved by reason to be the teachings of the infinite and infallible God.
Apologetics explains and justifies the Catholic religion as the true religion . That is to say, Apologetics shows that the Catholic religion in its essentials, and in such individual doctrines as may be investigated by the unaided mind of man, is reasonable, right, and true; and it shows that the arguments used against the claims of the Catholic religion are unwarranted, unreasonable, and fallacious.
       3. IMPORTANCE
You may say: "I am a Catholic. I know perfectly well that my religion is the one true religion. I have no need of a scientific study to convince me of its unique truth. I possess the infused gift of faith, and I realize, moreover, that my religion is thoroughly reasonable. What care I for the attacks and slurs directed against it by ignorance and prejudice? I need no Apologetics to show me that such attacks and slurs are utterly unreasonable and unjust. Therefore, the study of Apologetics does not appear important to me."
Your objection misses the point. Apologetics is not meant to convince you of the truth of your religion, but to equip you for the task of convincing others. Apologetics is not meant to rationalize your faith; for faith is a divine gift far surpassing mere intellectual conviction. But faith a